Ever since the full closure of Taunton State Hospital was halted last year by calls for the “stop and study” approach, the Mental Health Advisory Committee has been at work studying the mental health services system in Massachusetts.

Ever since the full closure of Taunton State Hospital was halted last year by calls for the “stop and study” approach, the Mental Health Advisory Committee has been at work studying the mental health services system in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, an opioid epidemic has hit Taunton particularly hard — and has afflicted communities throughout the commonwealth — underscoring the need for more comprehensive mental health services and highlighting the intersection between substance abuse and mental health treatment in the community.

As well, an ongoing over-restraint scandal has come to light at nearby Bridgewater State Hospital, where the forensic unit that had been housed at TSH is now located. Bridgewater State Hospital, a psychiatric prison that treats mentally ill patients and those awaiting trial, is now the subject of several lawsuits related to allegations of mistreatment.

It is clear that the need for local mental health treatment options in southeastern Massachusetts has become more acute since TSH’s partial closure. The committee report not only calls for keeping Taunton State Hospital open, but for exploring expansion options at the facility. Now that the state has spent $100,000 on the study, it will be up to the next legislative body and the next gubernatorial administration to take action on the report’s findings and devise sound policy.

But even before the next class of legislators and a new governor take their seats, the existing facilities at Taunton State Hospital could be the answer to some pressing needs facing the commonwealth’s mental health and criminal justice systems.

Gov. Deval Patrick, who had called for the closure of Taunton State Hospital to redirect centralized mental health services at the Worcester Recovery Center, has now proposed a “difficult to manage unit.” He is expected to announce plans for such a unit this week. The Mental Health Advisory Committee report also highlights the need for such a unit.

As state Rep. Shaunna O’Connell, R-Taunton, pointed out, those who do not receive proper treatment or are pushed out of the mental health system before they are ready may end up putting more of a strain on hospitals, schools, police and the criminal justice system. One interesting idea coming out of the study is a potential pilot program to divert some criminals with mental health issues from incarceration to treatment options at TSH.

Although the study has come under criticism for being short on specific policy recommendations, it is clear that Taunton State Hospital is a resource that ought to be utilized more, not less, as the commonwealth grapples with the best ways to treat those afflicted with mental illness and substance abuse. Let’s hope this report helps state officials determine the best course for sounder mental health and criminal justice policy.